Housing statistics for Scotland quarterly update: June 2018

New Build Housing – Social Sector

Social sector housing consists of local authority and housing association housing, and has accounted for just over a fifth (22%) of all new build homes completed over the 12 months to end December 2017. Social sector figures are collected a quarter ahead of those for the private sector meaning that figures are available up to the end of March 2018. However, to enable easier understanding of how each sector contributes to the all sector totals described previously, figures are also presented for the same time period to end December (although quarterly charts include the latest quarter’s data).

The more up-to-date figures for the social sector are presented later in this section.

Chart 7a: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end December, 2007 to 2017

Chart 7b: Housing Association and Local Authority new build starts and completions, years to end March, 2008 to 2018

Chart 8: Quarterly new build approvals and complations (Housing Associations) since 2007 up to end March 2018

Chart 9: Quartleryl new build starts and completions (Local Authority) since 2007 up to end March 2018

Trends over the last ten years – social sector

Chart 7a shows the number of local authority and housing association homes started and completed each year (to end December) since 2007, whilst Chart 7b shows the same information but up to end March (the most recent information available). Charts 8 and 9 show quarterly figures for housing associations and local authorities, respectively.

Social sector house building has not followed the same pattern as the private sector over time as the number of homes being built did not suddenly drop in 2008 following the recession.

Between 2007 and 2009 (years to end December) the number of housing association completions increased from just over 4,000 to just over 5,800. Completions then decreased each year to just under 2,400 in 2014 before increasing to just under 3,000 in 2015. Completions have since decreased in the past two years to just under 2,500 in 2017.

The number of housing association approvals meanwhile decreased from just over 6,500 in 2009 to just over 2,200 in 2011 (years to end December). The figures have since increased each year since then to just under 4,600 in the year ending December 2017, a 25% increase compared with the year to December 2016.

The number of local authority homes built has gradually increased from just 28 homes in 2007 up to just over 1,200 in 2013 (years to end December). Completions decreased slightly in 2014 before increasing to 1,500 in 2017. Local Authority housing has accounted for 8% of the total amount of new build homes completed across all sectors in the 12 months to end December 2017.

Trends to end December 2017 – social sector

There were 992 social housing completions between October and December 2017; 8% more than the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end December 2017 to 3,989. This is a 2% increase on the 3,897 social sector completions in the previous year.

Meanwhile, 1,236 social sector homes were started between October and December 2017; 10% more than the same quarter in 2016. This brings the total for the year to end December 2017 to 5,928. This is a 16% increase on the 5,123 social sector starts in the previous year.

Sub-national figures for the year to end December 2017 – social sector

Maps C and D show the rates of housing association and local authority new build completions in each local authority for the year to end December 2017 per 10,000 of the population (based on the latest mid-2017 population estimates). The housing stock of 6 local authorities (Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Glasgow, Inverclyde, Na h-Eileanan Siar and Scottish Borders) has been transferred to housing associations and so these areas do not build new local authority houses.

In the year to end December 2017 rates of housing association new build completions were highest in the Orkney Islands, Shetland, Clackmannanshire, and Glasgow, whilst no new housing association houses were built in East Ayrshire, Falkirk, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire and Stirling.

Meanwhile local authority new build rates were highest in Fife, Midlothian, West Lothian, and East Lothian. As well as the 6 stock transfer authorities mentioned above, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, the Orkney Islands, Renfrewshire, the Shetland Islands and West Dunbartonshire built no new homes in the year ending December 2017.

Latest data to end March 2018 – social sector

A total of 1,707 social sector homes were completed between January and March 2018, 60% more than the 1,067 homes completed in the same period in 2017. This brings the total for the 12 months to end March 2018 to 4,629, which is 20% more than the 3,866 completed in the previous year. The increase in the 12 months to end March 2018 is due to an increase in both Housing Association led and Local Authority led completions, which increased by 14% (382 homes) and 34% (381 homes), respectively.

Meanwhile, 3,314 social sector homes were started between January and March 2018. This is up by 3% compared to the same quarter in the previous year. This brings the total for the 12 months to end March 2018 to 6,036 which is a 4% decrease (280 homes) on the 6,316 starts in the previous year. The decrease in the 12 months to end March 2018 is due to decreases in both Housing Association approvals and Local Authority starts, which decreased by 5% (233 homes) and 3% (47 homes), respectively. (See Charts 8 and 9).

Map C: New build housing - Housing Association sector completions: rates per 10,000 population, year to end December 2017

Map D: New build housing - Local Authority sector completions : rates per 10,000 population, year to end December 2017